Capitals: Why There Should Be an NHL Version of “The Last Dance” Starring Alexander Ovechkin

With the world under quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people are itching for new content to watch to keep themselves occupied and distracted during these new and confusing times.

For sports fans, it has been especially tough because, unlike films and television, there have been no games taking place and it is highly unlikely for sports fans to go back and re-watch classic games to occupy their time. That is why ESPN and Netflix’s combined efforts to produce and distribute, “The Last Dance,” a docuseries giving a behind-the-scenes look into the career of basketball and cultural icon, Michael Jordan, have come at an all-too-perfect time.

As previously mentioned, this 10-episode docuseries chronicles Jordan’s career. The series pays especially close attention to the1997-1998 NBA season. “The Last Dance” has taken the sports world by storm and with weekly releases of two new episodes every Sunday, it is keeping viewers engaged, and attracting new ones due to positive word-of-mouth.

By going behind-the-scenes, viewers become engaged by the personalities appearing on camera to discuss past events. For instance, it was interesting for me, a non-basketball fan for the most part, to learn about Dennis Rodman and his unique personality. It is also interesting to hear the stories being told revolving around and including arguably the greatest basketball player of all time in Michael Jordan.

Any sports fan can appreciate the behind-the-scenes look into these icons of sport because it differs completely from what sports fans are used to seeing on television. We are used to seeing uninteresting pre-and-post-game interviews before and after they play where the personalities of players are hidden. This has never been truer than with hockey players.

Throughout my binge-watching of this series, I can’t stop thinking about how great it would be for someone to do this about a hockey player. Have a camera crew following their team for an entire season and then interviewing players about that season, as well as previous seasons in their career.

It would give fans an opportunity to see the personality of the player, and other players on their team, which is something that is often hidden from the public eye. I think there is no player better suited for their own docuseries than Alexander Ovechkin.

Why Ovi?

Since he entered the league in the 2005-2006 season, Alexander Ovechkin has been one of, if not the most popular player in the NHL. He attracted hockey fans by being a dynamic sniper with a personality.

He is a player who is unforgivably emotional on the ice, as evident by his early goal celebrations and thundering body checks. Everything about the way Ovechkin plays screams passion for the game of hockey.

This is very similar to Michael Jordan. Jordan is and always has been about winning. Watching some of Ovechkin’s highlights, it is hard to argue he is not all about the same thing.

However, there have been critics who have said that Ovechkin was a selfish hockey player whose only concern was about individual stats. He did not have what it took to lead a team all the way. These arguments plagued Ovi for years, only withering away 13 years after his career had begun and Lord Stanley was above his head.

There was a very similar argument made about Michael Jordan early in his career before he and the Bulls became one of the greatest dynasties in the history of professional sports. They said that MJ could win the scoring titles, but he couldn’t lead a team all the way. Ovechkin, much like MJ with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, could not rise to the ranks of Gretzky, Howe or even Crosby unless he won the Stanley Cup.

That would be a central theme to the docuseries, and the main reason for choosing Ovi as the star would make the series more enticing than if they selected another player. It is exciting to watch one of the greatest players of all time finally obtain what they had been chasing for so long; The one thing holding them back from being considered one of the greats.

Hearing Ovi, and other players who have played with/against Ovechkin throughout his career, discuss what it was like for him to have to play through these criticisms and what it took to prove them all wrong.

Personality

As previously mentioned, Alexander Ovechkin is one of, if not the most popular player in the NHL and has been for quite some time. This is in-part due to his dynamic playing style and charisma on the ice.

Yes, he is arguably the greatest goal scorer of all time, but he is also undeniably the guy who loves scoring the most of all time. Every goal, especially in his younger days, Ovechkin would go nuts and the fans loved it. Some fans, not as much…

There is just no arguing that Ovechkin and the energy he provides brings people to the rink to watch him play. He is fuelled by emotion and you can tell when you watch him play. His on-ice personality is one of the greatest the game has ever seen. He scores, he hits, he dangles, he truly does it all and makes the game more exciting to watch.

Unlike a lot of dynamic and skilled players, however, Ovechkin carries that same energy off the ice. He has multiple top-10 lists of off-ice moments dedicated just to him because of the personality he carries with him everywhere he goes.

From singing for a Russian band, to “doing 180 one time,” Ovi’s personality is loud, outgoing and downright funny. Ovechkin is a funny dude. This was unique for a Russian player. He was one of the first Russians to show his personality to the North American hockey world, and paved the way for fellow countrymen like Artemi Panarin, and fellow teammate, Evgeny Kuznetsov.

Bottom line, Alex Ovechkin has one of the greatest personalities the game has ever seen whether it’s on the ice or off of it. If you are looking for a hockey player to cover in a docuseries that shows a player dominating on the ice (or court) and having personality away from the game, it does not get much more perfect than Ovi.

He would make for the most entertaining player to follow which, although it is not exactly necessary for the focus of the series to be funny and outgoing, it definitely benefits the viewers of the series. Especially if they aren’t hockey fans, it is easy to like an outgoing personality who is also a dominant player and has been since they entered the league.

Legend of Ovi

Although everything Ovechkin does is highly publicized, there is still a legend about Alexander the Great. There is a mythos that is, “Alexander Ovechkin.”

I don’t even know how to describe it properly, but when you hear the name, “Alexander Ovechkin,” or when players discuss him, there is just this sense of greatness, and a legacy to the name.

As if a legendary career is being discussed, meanwhile he is still playing. Nothing seems to phase him, and he never seems to slow down. He doesn’t seem like just another hockey player, he seems like something larger than merely a pawn in the game. A player with a legendary status immediately jumps out as somebody who should be the star of a documentary following a hockey player if one were to be made.

Michael Jordan is a legend of basketball and beyond. He carried himself differently, and everybody knew who MJ was. Although hockey’s demographic is much smaller, Ovi is about as close as they come to being a celebrity of the sport.

When it comes to carrying themselves differently, Ovechkin fits the bill there too. Of course, Sidney Crosby is a legend in his own right due to his extreme talent, unbelievable work ethic and how frequently he has won. However, when you hear Sidney Crosby, he sounds human.

What I mean by this is, everybody knows he’s a stud, but his legend status comes differently; It primarily comes from his aforementioned work ethic and winning. Ovi’s legend status as a hockey player just comes from being the way he is. It comes from him going 100 miles-an-hour every shift and slamming into everybody before scoring a hat-trick. He just has a presence about him I genuinely have a hard time describing that elevates his status from a great player to a legend of the sport.

Having a docuseries that follows a legend of the sport and helps the viewers get to see him as a person instead of just this legend we are accustomed to, it is bringing something new to the table. We see every other player as human, but if Ovi were at the centre of a series like this, it would be some people’s first opportunity to see him as a person as opposed to a legend (or a goat).